Are you reaching the goals you desire in your job or for your print business?

The key to achieving the results you want is to focus on your purpose and your priorities. When we know what these are and can allocate more and more time to these priorities then we will achieve more print business results.

I recently listened to The One Thing by Gary Keller, co-founder of Keller Williams, the largest real estate sales company in the world. Here are some great ideas I learned on how we can accomplish more print business results on purpose:

Ask the Focusing Question for Your Print Business

The focusing question is: “What is the one thing I can do such that by doing it everything else becomes easier and unnecessary.”

The goal is to create a domino run—when I focus on the first thing, all the other dominoes (goals, projects, actions) begin to fall.

When we decide which priority has the most leverage to accomplish the greatest results in our print business, we move closer to our purpose.

Go Small

If we want extraordinary results we have to narrow our focus to what really matters and what will make the greatest difference in producing results. Therefore, go small and focus on the vital few rather than the trivial many. Line up your priorities every day and push on that lead domino until it falls over.

Plan Your Print Business Domino Run

Line up all the dominoes. Consider which domino will start the sequence of all the other dominoes falling. When we prioritize based on which action will start the domino sequence we visualize what it is we need to do to produce the results we desire. This will make it easier for us to continually refocus on the lead domino.

Allocate a Disproportionate Amount of Time to the Lead Domino

If we want extraordinary results we must allocate a disproportionate amount of time to our most important priorities. The most difficult part of this action is knowing we will leave many things undone—things which might never get done.

Make your peace with the understanding you sacrifice work on the small things to focus on the one thing which will start the domino run in order to get the big results you desire in your print business.

Create Your Timeblock

The concept of timeblocking allows you to allocate time on your calendar to work on your most important priorities.

The key to success is to protect your timeblock at all costs. Most people are most creative and effective in the mornings. If you fall into that camp carve out one or two hours to start, and work your way up to four hours/day timeblocks in which you workon your most important priority.

This might feel impossible, but it isn’t.

Simply start with a small timeblock and slowly expand it.

Evaluate the effectiveness of your work. For example you if you working on too many details which do not matter? If that is the case then ask your supervisor if they can be delegated or eliminated. , if you can delegate them and if you can schedule them at a different time.

You may consider waking up earlier to work on your most important priority before the normal work day begins. Whatever the best method is for you, a timeblock is your best vehicle to knock down the lead domino.

We are now at the second half of the year for 2015. Have you ever stopped to review where you are before the year is finished?

As basic as this sounds, most people do not review their progress. Those who achieve their goals are very focused and regularly review their progress.

The saying goes “You get what you expect when you inspect with regularity.”

If we want to meet our goals then we need to regularly review our progress. There is great value in stepping back and reviewing the first six months of the year. A review will not only help us feel good about our accomplishments but help us stay focused on what we need to do to achieve our goals.

Here are five actions you can take to exert leadership over yourself, your area of responsibility and/or your company. Read more

http://billprettyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/bp_blog-logo1.png00Bill Prettymanhttp://billprettyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/bp_blog-logo1.pngBill Prettyman2015-07-07 06:00:472015-07-01 21:48:18Print Industry Strategies for Second Half of the Year

http://billprettyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/bp_blog-logo1.png00Bill Prettymanhttp://billprettyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/bp_blog-logo1.pngBill Prettyman2015-06-11 06:00:112015-06-10 23:17:07The Value of Creativity in Business and the Print Industry

Because people come and go, having a strong culture that drives the way the company conducts its business is the best way to keep the company values strong. That way, even when people leave, the culture will remain. Read more

The act of blogging must be much bigger than simply writing a blog. It must be part of a mission you are passionate about. Without that mission, blogging becomes drudgery.

If you have your eye on a goal and a blog is part of executing that goal, then it won’t just be about cranking out a blog. But the thought must be about working toward your mission.

In the same vein, blogging cannot be about just making money. That’s like saying the goal of a business is to make money. In my opinion, the goal of a business is to serve others. Without money a business cannot survive, but making money is not its ultimate goal or its purpose for being.

Similarly, we wouldn’t say the goal of life is to eat. We need to food to live, but that is not our purpose.

Find your purpose. Whether it’s serving and helping others or something else entirely, if blogging is part of how you accomplish your purpose then that’s why you should blog.

Keep that purpose in mind and blogging will be something you will want to do, as it takes you toward your purpose.

Leadership styles are always evolving—changes have been especially notable in the past ten years.

It used to be that the most effective leadership style was “Command and Control.” This style was inspired by the way we led our troops in World War II. This method has continued to find favor right up to the present moment in the print industry.

However, this leadership style has given way to a more effective style we can label “Inspire and Engage.”

In a command and control environment, leaders decide to tell everyone what to do, and subordinates are expected follow orders.

On the other hand, leaders can choose an inspire and engage style. In this environment, we communicate to our team the vision, mission, values, milestones, and plans that will inspire them. Then we ask them to personally get engaged in helping the company to achieve those print industry goals.